CHAPTER 1I. 115 discover the sloth of the mind. It is a terrible word spoken by .1eremy in another case, der. xlviii. 10. Cursed is hethat Both the work of the Lord negligently. To lift up the eyes to heaven is a very natural posture of prayer, and therefore the psalmist so often mentions it, Ps. cxxi. L and cxxiii. 1, andcxli.8. Though sometimes under great de.. jection of spirit, and concern for sin, it is very decent with the publican to look down, as it were upon the ground, as being un- worthy to lift up our eyes to heaven where God dwells ; Luke xviii. 13. But above all, a roving eye, that takes notice of every thing, ought to be avoided in prayer ; for though it may be possible for a person that prays to keep his thoughts composed whilst his eyes thus wander, (which at the same time seems very difficult) yet spectators will be ready tojudge that our hearts are given to wander as much as our eyes are, and they will suspect that the life and spirit of devotion is absent. Upon thisaccount some persons have found it most agreeable, to keep the eyes always closed in prayer, lest by the objects that occur to their sight, the chain of their thoughts should be broken, or their hearts led away from God by their sense's : nor can I think it improper to shut that door of the senses, and exclude the world while we are conversing with God. But in this and other direc- tions, I would always excuse such persons who lie under any natural weaknesses, and must use those methods that make the work of prayer most easy to them. The lifting up of ¿he hands, sometimes folded together, or sometimes apart, is a very natural expression of our seekinghelp fromGod, who dwells above, Psal. xxviii. 2. and cxxxiv. 2. The elevation of the eyes, and the hands, is so much the dictate of nature in all acts of worship wherein we address God, that the heathens themselves frequently practised it, as we have an account in their several writers, as well as we find it mentioned as the practice ofthe saints in the holy scripture. And as the ele- vation of the hands to heaven is a very natural gesture when a person prays for himself ; so when a superior prays for ablessing to descend upon a person of an inferior character, it is very natural to lay his hand upon the head of the person for whom he prays. This we find practisedfrom the beginning of the world, and the plactice descends throughout all ages. It is true indeed, this gesture, the imposition of hands, was used by the prophets and apostles, when they pronounced authoritative and divine blessings upon men, and commenicated miraculous gifts. But I esteem it not so much a peculiar rite belonging to the prophetical benediction, as it is a natural expression of a desire of the divine blessing from a father to a son, from an elder person to onethat is younger, from a minister to other christians, especially those that arc bebes in Christ ; and therefore when a person is set IVOL, v, K
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